Happy employees, happy SMEs 
Happy employees can only mean good things for your business. However, a recent study has shown that only 25% of employees feel confident in their career at their current company. Why are so many employees having doubts?
One reason may be that fewer than one in three employees surveyed knew how to progress in their current career over the next five years. The survey revealed that only 50% said their manager gave them specific feedback on career progression.
It appears developing skills outside of roles is a priority to employees. The majority said it was more, or equally, important now than before the pandemic to do so.
Providing your employees with the opportunity to grow is key to retaining them. As part of your performance appraisal procedures, introducing a training and development plan can boost your employees’ satisfaction.
The study also found that 41% of employees did not feel comfortable sharing concerns at work with their managers. So, it goes without saying that creating an open and honest culture is invaluable.
If your employees have the confidence to come to you with any issues, it is much easier for you to address them. This will help boost morale and will potentially avoid them becoming dissatisfied and looking for a new role elsewhere.
The results revealed that 75% of those surveyed also wanted to dedicate more time to their personal lives, whilst two-thirds wanted to find a purpose beyond work. Work/life balance is important to your employees, so being able to work in an environment where this is considered will contribute to their job satisfaction and overall happiness whilst working for you.
For many businesses, hybrid and flexible working has become far easier to implement since the pandemic. So, if it works for your business, it is worth considering.
In turn, your employees are more likely to repay you with dedication and loyalty.
Supporting employees with baby loss 
Baby loss is an unimaginable tragedy for anyone to go through, and having support from those around them is important as they grieve.
Unfortunately, according to CIPD research, one in five employees who have suffered baby loss did not receive any support from their employer.
Employers do need to acknowledge pregnancy loss and baby loss as an important workplace issue.
However, the CIPD found that only just over half of employers provide support to employees who experience pregnancy loss before 24 weeks.
This goes hand in hand with how employees felt regarding support from their organisations, with 24% of employees considering leaving their job and 24% thought about reducing their hours.
It is thought one in four pregnancies in the UK ends in loss during pregnancy or birth. With much of the UK workforce being of the age when they will be looking to start or grow a family, sadly it is likely that at some point members of your team may experience such loss.
Therefore, it is best to be prepared and take this issue seriously, considering what you can do to help your employees should tragedy strike.
Individuals’ responses to grief is varied. By talking to them you could explore areas such as if a phased return to work would help and how they want the information to be shared with colleagues.
Having access to an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is very beneficial in such circumstances, so you could consider this for your employee benefits package if you do not already offer one.
To snoop or not to snoop? 
Some employers have struggled with trusting their staff to do their jobs whilst working remotely.
An employee at an American software company was fired when he refused to keep his webcam on throughout an eight-hour training session while he was working remotely in the Netherlands. The employee said it made him uncomfortable and felt like it was an invasion of privacy. He received the equivalent of £44,000 at a tribunal.
Even though this specific case occurred overseas, such surveillance is still an issue in the UK.
One in five companies has admitted to installing technology to snoop on staff, or is thinking of doing so. This includes things like how long employees take to read and respond to messages, checking attendance or to secretly film them from their screen.
But is this legal? Technically yes. Monitoring employees who are working remotely or at the office isn’t illegal if it complies with certain regulations.
However, if this is something you are considering you need to show there is a legitimate interest and how the data will be used and stored.
Remember to gain your employees’ consent and circulate a policy to inform them what is going on. All staff should be treated equally to avoid discrimination claims and you should be mindful of well-being, health and the hours people are working.
Discrimination can cost you
An employment tribunal can be costly and damaging to any employer’s reputation, particularly if it involves a discrimination claim. Just look at this recent example from a Vodafone franchise.
An LGBT+ employee was awarded £30,000 from a tribunal after she suffered harassment in the workplace.
Ms C was subjected to multiple inappropriate questions and statements during the three-month period. This included being told she looked like a “normal lassie” despite being gay, one worker telling her that they didn’t think LGBT+ should be taught in schools and being told that she “wasn’t financially driven” because she didn’t have children.
This case serves as a reminder about how important it is to avoid discrimination, bullying and harassment in the workplace.
Do you have the culture and policies to protect your business and staff from such a scenario? Ensuring everyone is treated with respect and that sexist, racist or ageist comments are never acceptable (whether passed off as banter or not) will create a better working environment for all.
If you need help strengthening your disciplinary and grievance procedures, please get in touch.
Four is the magic number 
While we await the findings of the official four-day working week pilot, it has already caused a lot of discussion.
There are concerns about how businesses would manage, how much staff would be paid and how to cover five days’ work in just four. What about the upside though? Many employees would naturally jump at the chance for a four-day week, giving employers who could embrace it a major advantage in recruitment and retention.
In fact, a new study on workplace benefits shows 68% of people in the UK would leave their current role if they were offered a similar one elsewhere with a four-day working week.
Although there are obvious benefits to employees, it remains to be seen how many employers begin to offer this option to their staff – it must work for the business too.
Who let the dogs out? 
As the most popular pet in the UK, dogs are a topic of conversation in offices up and down the country – but have those furry friends made their way into your office yet?
With more and more businesses letting dogs into the workplace, there are some benefits of having pets around. Including:
- Improved morale
- Reduced stress
- Increased productivity
- Increased retention
Before welcoming pooches into your office, make sure you implement a policy considering the rules the owners should follow, like setting up a rota of who can bring their dogs in on what day, making sure they’re friendly and well-behaved and most importantly – where they can go to the loo!
It is also important to check whether all your employees are on board and if there are any allergies.